http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/DK/20071029/SPORTS/710290305/-1/STATE01
Not everyone with LSU believes Saban is devil
By Glenn Guilbeau
Louisiana Gannett News
gguilbeau@gannett.com
BATON ROUGE -- His nickname is Satan. He was born on Halloween. And he wears red now.
But not all close to LSU think former LSU coach Nick Saban is the devil.
In one of the most hotly anticipated games of the season, No. 3 LSU (7-1) plays at No. 17 Alabama (6-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday on CBS with the Southeastern Conference West on the line. Both teams are 4-1 in the SEC.
The game also marks the first time Saban will coach against LSU, which he coached from 2000-04 and took to two SEC championships and a share of a national championship before becoming coach of the Miami Dolphins for 2005-06.
LSU coach Les Miles was complimentary of Saban when he replaced him, but he has had little to say about him since Saban went to Alabama last January. The two battled on the recruiting trail last winter, particularly in Mobile, Ala., and in West Monroe, and Miles called out Saban by association when he said LSU has a new rival in "f-ing Alabama" to thunderous approval at the Bayou Bash recruiting party.
Saban drew the ire of LSU fans when he jokingly told a "coon-ass" joke on the day he was hired at Alabama on Jan. 4 and pointed out after being asked about his recruiting that many of the LSU players that destroyed Notre Dame 41-14 the night before in the Sugar Bowl were signed by him.
Saban has praised the job Miles has done at LSU. Miles has not publicly said anything derogatory about Saban, but he often visibly tightens when asked about him. Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who took over the unit Saban took to national prominence, never praised Saban from the moment he came to LSU and has criticized coaches, like Saban, who run complicated and voluminous attacks that can require a lot of thinking from players.
Others in the LSU athletic department have ripped Saban, but they do not want to be quoted. Charles Hanagrif, who is close to the athletic department as sports director of LSU flagship station Eagle 98.1-FM and who hosts numerous call-in radio shows, is not a Saban fan.
"Nick rubs a lot of people the wrong way," Hanagrif said. "I never had a problem with him when he was here. My problem stems from the condescending way he left the Dolphins. He belittled everyone that questioned him while he was considering going to Alabama, which he did. He denied it so vigorously and vociferously. I had a problem with that.
"The fact that he went to Alabama is the swing for the fans. Had he gone to another school - if there was an opening -- it might be different. But he's at Alabama, which LSU sees as a rival. And they hate him. The fans can't stand this guy. They're looking to this game for blood."
Fans like Warren Doussan of Pass Christian, Miss.
"He's a snake in the grass," Doussan said. "And I'll say that to his face. I want us to beat Alabama bad."
Ya'el Lofton, coordinator of football operations and secretary to LSU coaches going back to Archer, keeps in touch with Saban and other former LSU coaches.
"He was very good to work for," she said before the season. "So is coach Miles. Both of them are very good at not letting a loss get to them here in the office. I enjoyed working for Nick and I enjoy working for Les. I think the fans get carried away sometimes."
LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson has heard the fans.
"I can understand why they don't like him," said Jackson, who signed with Saban in 2004. "I mean, he's at Alabama now. But we as players don't hold any grudges. When the fans are talking about him, I don't defend him. I just sit back and listen.
"It's funny. But I don't have anything bad to say about coach Saban. He's a great coach, but coach Miles is a great coach, too."
Cornerback Chevis Jackson met with Saban every day in the 2004 season when he was a freshman.
"He practically was the secondary coach, and he taught me a lot when he was here and I'm thankful for it," Jackson said. "I really don't get into all that. I don't know why they hate him. They probably liked him when he was here. He left. He made that decision. He's at Alabama now, and you know we've got a game to play."
LSU senior associate athletic director Verge Ausberry, a former LSU linebacker from New Iberia, doesn't understand the fans' hateful mentality.
"I don't care what those people say," Ausberry said. "Nick was our coach and he put LSU back in the national spotlight. And Les has picked it up from there and made it continue on. I have a lot of respect for Nick and what he did for our program. We were losing for about 10 years before he came here."
Ausberry played at LSU from 1986-89 under coach Bill Arnsparger and Mike Archer and was part of SEC championship teams in 1986 and 1988.
"We hadn't won an SEC championship since I played before Nick got here," Ausberry said. "I don't understand the fans. Steve Spurrier (former national champion Florida coach) did about the same thing as Nick.
"He left Florida went to the NFL and came back to South Carolina. Florida doesn't hate him and he went to that school and won the Heisman there. He left, but he's in their ring of honor there."
Things might be different for Spurrier at Florida, though, had he gone to Florida State or Miami to coach.
"But I don't think anybody close to LSU should hate Nick Saban," Ausberry said. "We wouldn't be where we are today without Nick Saban. And that's not knock on Les at all. Les is doing great, but it was a build-up by Nick. This program was down for 10 years."
Do not get the wrong idea, though. Ausberry wants Saban to lose Saturday just as much as any Saban-hating LSU fan.
"Right now Les Miles is my guy," Ausberry said. "And I want him to beat Nick's butt."
Not everyone with LSU believes Saban is devil
By Glenn Guilbeau
Louisiana Gannett News
gguilbeau@gannett.com
BATON ROUGE -- His nickname is Satan. He was born on Halloween. And he wears red now.
But not all close to LSU think former LSU coach Nick Saban is the devil.
In one of the most hotly anticipated games of the season, No. 3 LSU (7-1) plays at No. 17 Alabama (6-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday on CBS with the Southeastern Conference West on the line. Both teams are 4-1 in the SEC.
The game also marks the first time Saban will coach against LSU, which he coached from 2000-04 and took to two SEC championships and a share of a national championship before becoming coach of the Miami Dolphins for 2005-06.
LSU coach Les Miles was complimentary of Saban when he replaced him, but he has had little to say about him since Saban went to Alabama last January. The two battled on the recruiting trail last winter, particularly in Mobile, Ala., and in West Monroe, and Miles called out Saban by association when he said LSU has a new rival in "f-ing Alabama" to thunderous approval at the Bayou Bash recruiting party.
Saban drew the ire of LSU fans when he jokingly told a "coon-ass" joke on the day he was hired at Alabama on Jan. 4 and pointed out after being asked about his recruiting that many of the LSU players that destroyed Notre Dame 41-14 the night before in the Sugar Bowl were signed by him.
Saban has praised the job Miles has done at LSU. Miles has not publicly said anything derogatory about Saban, but he often visibly tightens when asked about him. Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who took over the unit Saban took to national prominence, never praised Saban from the moment he came to LSU and has criticized coaches, like Saban, who run complicated and voluminous attacks that can require a lot of thinking from players.
Others in the LSU athletic department have ripped Saban, but they do not want to be quoted. Charles Hanagrif, who is close to the athletic department as sports director of LSU flagship station Eagle 98.1-FM and who hosts numerous call-in radio shows, is not a Saban fan.
"Nick rubs a lot of people the wrong way," Hanagrif said. "I never had a problem with him when he was here. My problem stems from the condescending way he left the Dolphins. He belittled everyone that questioned him while he was considering going to Alabama, which he did. He denied it so vigorously and vociferously. I had a problem with that.
"The fact that he went to Alabama is the swing for the fans. Had he gone to another school - if there was an opening -- it might be different. But he's at Alabama, which LSU sees as a rival. And they hate him. The fans can't stand this guy. They're looking to this game for blood."
Fans like Warren Doussan of Pass Christian, Miss.
"He's a snake in the grass," Doussan said. "And I'll say that to his face. I want us to beat Alabama bad."
Ya'el Lofton, coordinator of football operations and secretary to LSU coaches going back to Archer, keeps in touch with Saban and other former LSU coaches.
"He was very good to work for," she said before the season. "So is coach Miles. Both of them are very good at not letting a loss get to them here in the office. I enjoyed working for Nick and I enjoy working for Les. I think the fans get carried away sometimes."
LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson has heard the fans.
"I can understand why they don't like him," said Jackson, who signed with Saban in 2004. "I mean, he's at Alabama now. But we as players don't hold any grudges. When the fans are talking about him, I don't defend him. I just sit back and listen.
"It's funny. But I don't have anything bad to say about coach Saban. He's a great coach, but coach Miles is a great coach, too."
Cornerback Chevis Jackson met with Saban every day in the 2004 season when he was a freshman.
"He practically was the secondary coach, and he taught me a lot when he was here and I'm thankful for it," Jackson said. "I really don't get into all that. I don't know why they hate him. They probably liked him when he was here. He left. He made that decision. He's at Alabama now, and you know we've got a game to play."
LSU senior associate athletic director Verge Ausberry, a former LSU linebacker from New Iberia, doesn't understand the fans' hateful mentality.
"I don't care what those people say," Ausberry said. "Nick was our coach and he put LSU back in the national spotlight. And Les has picked it up from there and made it continue on. I have a lot of respect for Nick and what he did for our program. We were losing for about 10 years before he came here."
Ausberry played at LSU from 1986-89 under coach Bill Arnsparger and Mike Archer and was part of SEC championship teams in 1986 and 1988.
"We hadn't won an SEC championship since I played before Nick got here," Ausberry said. "I don't understand the fans. Steve Spurrier (former national champion Florida coach) did about the same thing as Nick.
"He left Florida went to the NFL and came back to South Carolina. Florida doesn't hate him and he went to that school and won the Heisman there. He left, but he's in their ring of honor there."
Things might be different for Spurrier at Florida, though, had he gone to Florida State or Miami to coach.
"But I don't think anybody close to LSU should hate Nick Saban," Ausberry said. "We wouldn't be where we are today without Nick Saban. And that's not knock on Les at all. Les is doing great, but it was a build-up by Nick. This program was down for 10 years."
Do not get the wrong idea, though. Ausberry wants Saban to lose Saturday just as much as any Saban-hating LSU fan.
"Right now Les Miles is my guy," Ausberry said. "And I want him to beat Nick's butt."
